Staying Alive
by silvermoongirl10
Summary: When going to arrest a suspect Colby makes a vital mistake as he chases after the suspect. He isn't wearing his bulletproof vest.


**A/N this is based on the line David says ("Put your vest on please") to Colby in 'Arms in Arms' episode 6.12. My first fic of 2014! So I wish you all a very Happy New Year!**

* * *

It was like any other case, well actually it wasn't. Because the team hadn't needed to call Charlie in to help them. The team where currently waiting outside of an abandoned house for their suspect, Kyle Frankton, who had robbed a series of jewellery stores and had killed his last victim. Colby and David were around the back in case Frankton decided to make an escape when Don, Nikki and Liz went in through the front.

David turned to face his friend when he heard Colby sigh. "What's the matter?"

Colby wiped his hand across his forehead before he replied, "It's too hot. My vest is making me like I'm about to keel over from heat exhaustion"

David had to agree with Colby, the day's high temperature was not helping matters, and they were stuck waiting in their car with the engine off so no air conditioning.

"Just think cool thoughts" said David, he was struggling himself, but Colby had it worse. Because Colby's side of the car was directly in the sunlight. He could practically see the sweat pouring off Colby's forehead.

"You don't actually think that works do you?" sniped Colby.

David shrugged, "Was just a suggestion"

"Do me a favour and don't suggest something that stupid again" glared Colby.

David turned away and hastily remained silent knowing that when Colby was in a mood it was safer to just remain silent. But at hearing the sound of tearing Velcro his head snapped around to face Colby once again. He sat in stunned silence for a moment before he exclaimed, "What do you think you are _doing_?!"

Colby narrowed his eyes and responded, "Taking my vest off for a minute so I can cool down"

"_That_ is more stupid than my suggestion!" snapped David as he could only watch as Colby removed his vest, "We are about to arrest a suspect who is known for using _guns_ and you are taking off your _bulletproof vest_!"

Colby just shrugged and began fanning himself. David opened his mouth to order Colby to put his vest back on when a door slammed open and Frankton came running out into the alley and seeing their car he turned on his heels and began running in the opposite direction. Colby flung open his door and sprinted after Frankton. To David's horror without his vest.

"Damn idiot!" cursed David as he also took off after Frankton and Colby shouting into his radio which way the suspect was heading. Liz burst out of the house and climbed into their car turning it around and headed onto the main road hoping to cut the suspect off. She was concerned to see Colby's vest sat on Colby's empty passenger seat and could only hope Colby came out of this unharmed.

* * *

All Colby could hear was his pounding feet and his ragged breathing. The cool breeze on his face made him less tired and gave him some extra strength to keep running. He noted that in his haste to chase after Frankton he hadn't put his vest back on, he groaned knowing he was going to have hell to pay once David caught up to him.

He chased after Frankton through the winding back alleys and over fences, while he continued running at a steady pace he saw Frankton was beginning to tire as the heat got to him. Colby bided his time as he continued to run at the same pace not trying to catch up to Frankton, he was going to let Frankton come to him.

As he turned around a sharp turn he caught a glimpse of David running after him, and his friend did not look happy, in fact he looked furious. Either that was because Frankton was making him run on an extremely hot day or it was because Colby wasn't wearing his vest. He hope it was the first reason, but Colby realistically knew it both, which meant that he was still doomed.

"Frankton give it up!" called Colby, despite how much he loved running, whether it be his morning run or chasing after suspects he was beginning to tire and he did not want to give Frankton a slight chance in getting away. He sighed in annoyance when instead of stopping and holding up his hands Frankton put on a burst of speed. Realizing that his waiting Frankton tactic wasn't going to work Colby picked up the pace. He didn't know that the added speed was pushing David further and further behind him. He was losing his backup and he wasn't the one with the radio.

* * *

David tried to steady his breathing as he ran after his partner all the while reporting back to the rest of the team every twist, turn and fence Frankton climbed. Early on he had figured out the tactic Colby was using and he couldn't blame his friend, pushing yourself to your limits in this heat was a recipe for a disaster. But after hearing Colby call out to Frankton with their suspect only running faster David was concerned when Colby began running faster and soon enough steadily breaking away from David and casting a big distance between them.

"He'd better not get himself killed. Otherwise, I'll bring him back to life to kill him myself" muttered David as he tried his hardest to at the very least keep Colby in his sights to be able to know where the suspect was heading.

* * *

Colby was now gasping for air with sweat pouring off him and his legs were beginning to ache, he didn't know how much longer he was going to be able to continue running. He noticed with satisfaction how Frankton appeared to be having more trouble than him. After a few more twists in the back alleys they came out into a more open area and Colby hoped this meant someone else could sweep in and capture Frankton.

Colby then grinned seeing Frankton look as if he was about to give up. "Got you" muttered Colby, he was going to enjoy cuffing Frankton so much.

But Frankton skidded to a halt and drew his gun.

Colby also skidded to a halt and ducked behind a car as he drew his own gun, "Frankton you don't want to do this!" reasoned Colby. He was dismayed to see David hadn't yet caught up, so he was facing an armed suspect without a vest. He was now wishing he hadn't taken off his vest, but he reasoned, if he had been wearing his vest he most likely would have passed out of heat exhaustion in the chase.

"I'm already going down for murder! Why would I just give myself up?!" screamed Frankton as his eyes desperately darted around for an escape.

"Look Frankton, you give yourself up now. _Willingly_. Then we may be able to work out a deal" offered Colby calmly. While he may have sounded calm he was far from it, he had not back up, no vest and worst of all a little girl of about eight years old stuck on the side of the path as she was frozen in shock. The poor girl, Colby figured, must have been on her way home from the park when he and Frankton had made a standoff in the middle of the path. While Colby was behind cover, the girl was not.

Colby from the corner of his eye saw an LAPD Officer emerged from another back alley just as Frankton twitched as if he was about to move towards the girl. Knowing this could end in a hostage situation with the girl ending up dead, Colby ran forward just two seconds before the Officer.

Colby grabbed the girl around her waist and pushed her into the arms of the Officer, the Officer didn't need instruction he turned and ran back down the alley he had come to take the girl to safety.

Frankton glared at Colby as his last resort for freedom was carried away. In the distance sirens could be heard getting closer.

"It's over Frankton" commented Colby, he had to continually blink to get the sweat out of his eyes so he had clear vision in case he needed to take a shot.

"It ain't over until I say it is" snapped Frankton, as he raised his gun a little higher pointing it straight at Colby.

"I hate to break it to you sunshine but in a few seconds my back up is gonna arrive and we'll be dragging your handcuffed ass off to jail" quipped Colby. He heard pounding footsteps and he didn't have to look to know it was David. "See I told you Frankton. It's _over_"

"NO!" yelled Frankton as he frowned in frustration.

What happened next was all a blur to Colby except for four sounds.

BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.

* * *

David skidded to a stop at the end of the alley to hear Frankton shout in frustration. Hearing Frankton's gun fired David fired his own as did Colby. Frankton violently shook as he was hit and fell to the ground unmoving. David relaxed his stance ready to lecture Colby about needing to wear his vest, but instead he could only watch as Colby crumpled to the ground with red staining his shirt.

"Colby!" called David, he staggered to his best friend's side and tore off his own vest and then his jacket and pressed it to Colby's abdomen. He yelled into the radio demanding an ambulance and seeing Colby's eyes flutter shut David gently shook his shoulder, "Hey stay with me man!"

"Sorr'" slurred Colby, "I forgo' t' pu' my ves' bac' 'n"

"I'll let you off the lecture if you stay awake and promise me that you've learnt your lesson" replied David gently as he leaned forward to give Colby something to focus on.

Colby looked up into his friend's eyes and hated to see the desperation, the worry and the guilt swimming in David's gaze. He reached up and weakly grasped David's wrist and tried to tell David that he had nothing to be guilty for but the words just wouldn't come out, instead they were a garbled mess.

"Hey take it easy Colby, you'll be alright you'll see" comforted David, he hated seeing his friend in this state. Despite everything he was doing to help his friend Colby's eyes slipped closed, his hand dropped from David's wrist and hit the unforgiving, blood stained ground. "No Colby! _Colby_!" cried David, but Colby remained silent and still.

Within moments the EMT's arrived and took over the situation. While David reported to Don what had happened he was unable to climb into the ambulance to stay with his friend. So Liz gently guided him over to the car and followed the ambulance sirens blazing.

On the way to the hospital David dropped his head into his hands tears stinging the backs of his eyes and at his feet was Colby's vest. His eyes narrowed and the tears fell as he reached out to grab the vest.

"Damn it! _Damn it_!" howled David in his grief and rage he flung the vest into the backseat out of his sight. But he knew it was there and it continued to taunt him. If only Colby had kept it on. Yes he probably would have collapsed of heat exhaustion refusing to give up the chase, the stubborn idiot, but he wouldn't have been shot. He wouldn't be…dying. That word made David shudder. That couldn't be happening, it just couldn't not to Colby. Not to his best friend. Not to his _brother_.

They reached the hospital and were told Colby had been rushed into surgery and that could take a few hours. David was at the end of his tether and stumbled outside with his vision blurred with tears. He dropped down onto a bench in a small garden that looked too cheerful for his current mood. He covered his eyes with his hands and bent forward so his hands rested on his knees. He startled when a gentle hand rested on his shoulders, he looked up to see Liz.

"It's my fault" he rasped as he looked back down at his hands.

"No it's not" argued Liz, "Even though he wasn't wearing his vest it's not even really his fault, as we've all knocked on countless doors without our vests on. The fault lies with Frankton"

David shook his head despairingly, "You don't understand!" he moaned, "I couldn't keep up with them. No matter how fast I ran, they were faster. In those few minutes they were stood there I spent running to catch up. The situation could have been resolved faster and _safer_ if I had been there as I was supposed to be"

"David-" started Liz,

"No. My place was at my partner's side, and I let him go into that situation _alone_. I saw an LAPD Officer carrying a little girl away, Colby must have saved her from becoming Frankton's hostage. So my partner saves a girl's life and I let him get shot"

"That's enough David!" Liz sharply commented getting her friend's attention, "You didn't _let_ Colby get shot. Whatever happens it is _not your fault_."

"Liz he's like the brother I never had. And after all he's been through in the past few years I _can't_ lose him. I _hated_ him when we thought he was a spy, I even hated him when he was proved innocent." Confessed David ashamedly as he looked out across the small garden, "He's such a good person, he doesn't deserve any of this" he shook his head thinking back on past conversations with his best friend. "You know he sometimes feels guilty for leaving the Army and his friends, he once said that he almost joined up again, but then thought he couldn't abandon us. A person like him doesn't deserve to die on an operating table fighting for his life after some scumbag shot him as he tried to make this city safer"

Liz's only response was to wrap her arms around David, they ended up waiting for news there, each drawing comfort and strength from the other.

* * *

They had ended up waiting four hours to hear the news that Colby was out of surgery and would make a full recovery. David had been so happy to hear the news a few tears had escaped out of happiness and relief. He had then sat himself in the chair beside Colby's bed and refused to move. He had ended up falling asleep as the day's event caught up to him.

He had fallen forward so his head was resting on the bed near Colby's hand. Movement caused him to sit up suddenly. He looked up to see Colby blinking awake. David felt the rest of his worry slip away seeing his friend awake. Colby smiled up at him and then David really knew that everything would be okay.

* * *

Two months later Colby was back on active duty and loving every minute of it. He got out of the car and stretched and turned to David grinning, "This sure beats sitting behind my desk"

"Just tread carefully" prompted David. Colby just smiled and did a small skip to the door of the witness.

After the case with Kyle Frankton whenever the team were about to arrest a suspect David would always remind Colby to put his vest on if Colby hadn't yet got round to it. On the days off David he always worried, he worried what if Colby was caught up in the moment and no one reminded him to put on his vest?

On one of these days off four months after the incident with Frankton Colby arrived at his apartment as pre-arranged for a take-out and film night. He walked through the door favouring his left side.

"What happened?" demanded David getting straight to the point not even giving Colby a chance to take his jacket off.

"Nice to see you to" quipped Colby sarcastically.

David raised his eyebrow, "Seriously Colby. What. Happened?"

Colby rolled his eyes as he removed his jacket and hissed in pain as he pulled on his left side. Seeing David's look he sighed and said, "We arrested a suspect and he shot at us. That's it"

"That's it?!" exclaimed David, then seeing how Colby was holding himself he made the few steps over to his friend and checked him for injuries as he stated, "You were shot weren't you?! Where?"

Colby placed his hands on David's shoulders and calmly replied, "It's alright. Yes I got shot on my left side, but I was wearing my vest." David sighing relaxed and then broke out into a smile and herded Colby over to the couch where the take-out and film was waiting.

Even though Colby had proven that he had learnt he could remember to put his vest on. It did not stop David from always reminding him when he felt Colby was taking too long waiting to put it on. But that was what made them such good partners, they always watched out for each other, they always had their friend's backs.

**The End.**


End file.
